The court case jointly filed by the Paramount Chief of Talensi, Tongraan Kugbilsong Nanlebegtang, and the Paramount Chief of Sandema, Nab Azagsuk Azantilow II, on the recent election held at the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs encountered an unexpected development today.
The lawyer representing them, Mohammed Tiamiyu, withdrew from the case at a high court in the regional capital, Bolgatanga.
Reasons for pulling out of the case are unknown for now, but his withdrawal was enough to spark a wave of joy among the supporters of the defence side.
The case was adjourned to October 23, 2024.
The two paramount chiefs filed the case on September 30, 2024, claiming the election was held in breach of “the known and settled practice” of the house and asked the court to declare it “null and void and of no legal effect” and set it aside.
They also asked for an interlocutory injunction restraining the Paramount Chief of Chiana, Pe Ditundini Adiali Ayagitam III, who won the election, from holding himself out as the president-elect of the house and restraining the registrar from submitting the result of “the said election” to the National House of Chiefs until “the final determination of this action.”
On top of that, the plaintiffs (the two paramount chiefs) requested a permanent injunction restraining the two defendants (the Paramount Chief of Chiana and the registrar) from using their offices to “unilaterally” change the “known and settled practice” of electing a regional president who, on account of his election as regional president, automatically also represents the house at the national level.
The Paramount Chief of Chiana, secured 19 votes against his sole contender, the Paramount Chief of Bongo, Naba Baba Salifu Atamale Lemyaarum, who got 10 votes.
Thursday’s court sitting was scheduled for a possible ruling on an application filed by the plaintiffs for an interlocutory injunction against the swearing-in of the president-elect.
A notice of injunction had been served on the defendants prior to Thursday’s sitting that only saw the plaintiffs’ lawyer announce his withdrawal from the case on the first day.
The litigation cropped up about two weeks after the Tongraan, who is now the lead plaintiff in the case, had participated in the election by voting and congratulated the winners of the election held on September 16, 2024.
“Congratulations to all who won the vote today and to those who lost should take heart for better luck next time. May God and our ancestors be with you all. Thank you all, TONGRAAN,” he wrote on the WhatsApp platform of the region’s paramount chiefs on the night of the September 16 election.
This is about the fourth court case the Tongraan has been involved in, the previous ones solely initiated by him against some of his own subjects for defamation at the various trial courts in the region.
His attempt to invite a high court judge, Justice Alexander Graham, on Friday, 10 March 2023, to his palace for discussions on some matters being heard in the court presided over by that judge provoked a wave of headlines felt across Ghana.
Two people he asked to invite the judge on his behalf— his secretary, Richard Sunday Yinbil, and the Chief of Baare, Naab Nyarkora Mantii, were arrested, tried, convicted on their own plea and ordered to sign a bond of good behaviour for six months in sentence for contempt of court.
The judge also asked the two men to produce the Tongraan himself for prosecution but he relaxed the order after about 12 lawyers, who were in court at the time, pleaded on his behalf.
Source: Edward Adeti/Media Without Borders/mwbonline.org/Ghana.
